Migrant Workers Centre opens new HQ in 579 Serangoon Rd on Jan 26, 2014. A foreign workers' advocate group backed by the labour movement has set up its first emergency shelter. -- PHOTO: ZAOBAO

By Toh Yong Chuan

A foreign workers' advocate group backed by the labour movement has set up its first emergency shelter.

The Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), headed by labour MP Yeo Guat Kwang, has opened an emergency shelter that can house eight workers in its new premises at a two-storey shophouse in Serangoon Road.

Previously, foreign workers who needed temporary shelter were housed overnight at the group's offices at Geylang and Little India before being sent to workers' dormitories. This was the practice even though both offices were not officially approved by the authorities to be used as workers quarters.

Besides beds for up to eight workers, the new shelter also boasts counselling rooms and a recreational area for foreign workers to play board games. By March, the centre will also set up a 24-hour hotline to allow foreign workers to get round-the-clock help.